Forbes Family Cafe

Food is pretty good, you pay by the ounce so it can get pretty expensive if you want to eat a lot. Most options are pretty healthy, and there are choices for vegans/vegetarians. The pho was okay, I wish it had more flavor. There are many grab & go options as well. The location is very convenient if you spend a lot of time studying in Huang like I do.

Not sure what changes have happened recently, but a reasonable quick serve wait time has turned into 30+ minute waits. When I’m trying to order food before class, the lengthy unpredictable wait time causes a major inconvenience :(

This place opens for 3 hours at lunchtime, and offers at most 4 dishes. I cannot understand how they can mess up an order so often. You cannot rely that they will have the items on the menu, even if you order in advance. Be prepared to ask for a refund and look for lunch somewhere else if you get unlucky. The food is fine, but it's not extraordinary, and so it matches the prices, which are ok but not fantastic.

Honestly I can't give this place a low enough rating. Overpriced mediocre food that takes forever to receive, long lines. Choices are an expensive pay-by-weight buffet or soups and sandwiches. My bowl of tofu pho took 15 minutes to receive, and they also ran out of tofu but did not inform me until after I had ordered and paid. Consistently leaves me hungry and disappointed. Stanford, please get rid of this place and put in something better that can more effectively serve the lunch needs of this area!

Food not bad. But staff is rude and insulting. Got there at 11 when they open. I need to eat and be done before 1130 to get back to work. I grabbed a refill on my soda on the way out and no matter what I said this rude lady, she insisted I was not a paying customer and stole a soda lol. Like lady If being rude and insulting is your thing. I probably make in a days work close to your best week. I don’t need to steal your 1.50 fountain soda.

Convenience for the location, but the food quality has dropped greatly in just the last month. Also, drink prices can be really expensive as well. The pastries, bagels, muffins, etc. are prepackaged unlike their direct competitor across the way from them.

The prices are ridiculously high considering that their main customers are students. For example, what would normally be a $2 Odwalla protein shake cost ~$6 here. Also, I order a vegan tofu pho and it appeared to have meat bits in the bottom. I have always been unhappy with this establishment, and I eagerly await a different vendor to replace it.

Absolutely the best place to eat on campus! When my family came to visit I brought them here just to try the Laksa soup, pho is delicious too :)! I’ve come at the peak of lunch rush many times and the staff is on top of refilling dishes and keeping stations clean which is much appreciated.

It's a cozy cafeteria tucked inside of the Jensen Huang building and it's pretty popular - there were always a couple tables available, but you do have to wait a bit for your food. The options include an Asian themed menu of either pho or chicken curry laksa, a boba shop, and a Coupa Cafe. You can order on iPads for the first two options and they have a small seasonal menu for hot food as well. The boba store is solid. Chun Yang has fantastic tea, though I can't speak to the boba as I got the grass jelly. Pricing is pretty standard for the bay, which is to say expensive - expect to pay over 10 bucks if you get a topping. The curry laksa didn't have a ton of chicken, but the soup was solid. Personally, I thought the rice noodles really didn't hold up to the heavy flavors, so I might recommend the pho instead. Serving size was okay for 14 bucks. Overall, good option for campus food, but just okay if you're paying cash.

Do you ever want hot food but also want it as quickly as possible because you're short on time? If you're ever worried that your order will not be ready in time for your next meeting or class, I got you. Here are some items that I have ordered and received my food in the blink of an eye. Okay, maybe a few blinks of an eye. I have ordered pho, laksa, and all the paninis available at the moment (Italian, citrus chicken, vegan) in the past month, and every time I have been, my order was ready within a few minutes. :) I also like that the fountain drink options include Gold Peak's unsweetened black tea. It's my go-to pair with the paninis. Here are my reviews on the paninis. Citrus chicken panini: At first, I wasn't sure what to expect from the combination of citrus and chicken. I took a bite of the panini, and had this aha! moment. If you like chicken limone, chicken piccata, or scampi, you'll enjoy this one. It's creamy and savory like a plate of chicken limone packed into a sandwich. Italian panini: If you're a ham-lover, this is your match. It's savory and packed with three different kinds of ham. Vegan panini: I don't know how they prepare the tofu in this panini, but I love it! The shop's Asian-style tofu wrap in the grab-n-go also has this tofu in it. This vegan panini is toasty and comforting, almost like a grilled cheese sandwich. Whether you're vegan or not, it's worth a try.

This eatery which serves soups and sandwiches is a popular lunch spot among Stanford engineering students. They're famous for their pho. Unfortunately, their food is not good and it's popularity stems from the convenient location. Their meals are overpriced for the amount of food you're getting. Moreover, when I last visited them yesterday, I was served a seriously oily and burnt panini. I don't feel the need of coming here anytime soon again. I liked their ordering system, via an iPad, which allows Stanford students to not pay tax. Because they're serving only to-go meals this business creates a huge amount of waste and can try harder to improve its sustainability practices.

Decent spot for lunch on campus with a salad bar and a rotating menu of hot food options. They'll often have mediterranean, indian, asian, or italian. Food is all tasty but pretty pricey for how much you get! Also beware the lunch rush. Gets very crowded from 12-1.

Probably one of the best cafes on the main campus, which is not really saying much, but hey it's something! I was very addicted to their pho at one point, well more like their spicy oil they have there. They need to refill that oil more often, because without it the food just isn't the same. Also, the amount of noodles they give you in the pho is not very consistent, sometimes I get barely any noodles and it's just soup, bad. Sometimes I get too much noodles, and barely have any room for soup, which is also bad. I think it depends on the day, and sometimes the soup is super thick when it should be light. Anyhow, I am still very thankful this place is here since everywhere else on campus, the cafes are lacking. At least this cafe is still reasonably priced with their food. The style is serve yourself. There's different daily items and you grab as much as you want. They charge per oz.

I've worked in this building for seven years and Forbes used to be decent when it had hot and cold food bars but since Covid it's just depressing limited choices that never change, lackluster pre-packaged food that sells out early, and extremely limited hours. I've stopped going there, which sucks since it's the closest lunch option. The pho they have is basic, broth and some noodles with a couple of pieces of meat, and for $12, it's just a rip off. The pre-packaged options are limited and sad, and the two hot entree options are mediocre at best with little variety. I've never gotten the sandwiches so can't give feedback on those. The app descriptions of the two hot entrees are often wrong and even if you pre-order, the food usually isn't ready when they tell you it will be. Forbes feels like a forgotten cafe that takes little effort but makes enough money from students who are trapped on campus so they don't change anything even though they have the resources and are surrounded by amazing food in the Bay Area. I understand there may be Covid issues that prevent the buffet food bars they used to have, but they can use the space they have to provide better food options. At this point, if I don't have time to leave the building, I just get prepared food from Cuppa across the lobby since they're pre-made food is much better.

This is the place to go if you want noodle soups (RIP Thai Cafe). They offer pho and chicken laksa, both with vegetarian options. The pho is not "San Jose level," but it has the right flavors and herbs; and the laksa is quite good and very spicy. The portions are reasonable and they're only $7.50 with a Stanford card. They can take a while to make during the lunch rush, so go early (noodle soups are available 11-2). If soup isn't your thing, then they offer breakfast and lunch bars, which are self-serve, and some premade options such as sushi and sandwiches. The snacks can be a bit pricey, ie. $4 for a granola bar; and the meals can get expensive since they price it by weight (usually around $12). They also run out quick. As of this review, Forbes takes meal plan dollars which is great if you are a Stanford student.

Chicken Laksa. Mic drop, enough said. I cannot explain this soup. It is top of my list for my favorite things for lunch. Thick, flavorful, spicy yet sweet.. Without knowing what they'll serve on the hot bar, I know I could want it.. its a hot meal fusion.. the chefs preparing these dishes are authentically preparing whats good to them. It'll be cali cuisine all the way.. kinda Asian, kinda Latino, 100% fresh local stellar produce. My typical order here is Chicken Laksa or Citrus Chicken Panini.

foods not bad service is rude. I was the first guy in at 11. sat and ate my food and finished my fountain drink. I went and got my refill and this lady kept insisting I never sat and ate and was stealing a Soda... wouldn't even listen to my reasoning on how I for sure sat and ate and paid for my meal. Like not to be rude mysefly but lady, I make more money an hour then everyone together in that kitchen, I'm not here to steal your fountain sodas lol Smdh.

I appreciate what they've attempted to do here after wrongfully ousting Ike's from campus. Healthy options, diverse menu that changes daily, etc. That being said, I feel it falls far short of what we needed. 1) The hot food options simply don't taste good. The quality is similar to dorm cafeteria food at best, and the quality pales in comparison to Arbuckle (the business school cafe) down the street. 2) The salad is certainly healthy and fresh, which is the only reason I came here is often as I did, but there was a recent shift in pricing from charging per size of the salad bowl (two options, small or large) to charging by weight. Now the same tiny salad that cost $3.95 runs me over $7.50, and that's unacceptable. 3) The prepackaged desserts are a significant step down from those offered just next door at Coupa. Just go to Coupa. 4) Ike's. Come back. Please.

Forbes Family Cafe is a unique option at Stanford. It is located in the Huang Engineering building, in the spot formerly used for Ike's Place. It reminds me of the pay-by-weight food section at Whole Foods. You can either go to their "Bowl Bar" for a Chipotle-size bowl of hot entrees or go to the "Pure Bar" for to fill your container with salads. They also offer made-to-order paninis and refrigerator cases of beverages, desserts and ready-made sandwiches and salads. Their daily menu changes, and they're good about posting photos and details on their Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/forbesfamilycafe Eating here is helpful for me when I'm trying to eat low-carb. I can pick and choose the proteins and veggies i want. In the various times I've been there, I had delicious chicken and shrimp gumbo, dirty rice and beans, middle-eastern inspired lamb, quinoa, roasted cauliflower and asparagus, and more. However, I tend to go overboard and end up spending almost $10 on a bowl because certain items are heavier than others. Do yourself a favor and use one of their scales as you're filling up, so you're not surprised with a big bill at the register!

In the summer of 2015, Forbes Family Cafe changed their pricing structure from by container to by weight. The hot food bar is now $0.57 per ounce and the salad bar $0.52 per ounce. Essentially, you now get less food for the same price. The first time you get food after the switch, you'll probably pay 1.5 times as much if you get the amount you got before. I don't think it's a coincidence that they rolled out this change in the summer quarter when there are fewer students to complain. That said, if there's one benefit to this it's that I now eat a more healthy portion when getting hot food (after the first mess-up I started just getting less food). Getting salad under the new scheme is much less cost-effective though, but it seems that they've at least improved the selection a bit (they have grilled chicken there now). To be fair, they probably changed to this scheme because poor grad students were packing too much food into each container. But unfortunately it always comes off as cheap when you start off one way and make it more expensive. In the new scheme, weigh your portion before you pay to avoid surprises! The latest photo in this reviews shows about 12 ounces, making for a $7 meal. All in all, a change that's worse for students but probably better for the long-term viability of the business. Still, it takes away the only advantage Forbes had. Without their low prices, they're just average compared to the selection around this area.

They had predecessors that set a high bar with quality, quantity, and speed of service. Unfortunately they have failed to measure up to these expectations. At the start they tried to put their best foot forward, but recent changes in the pricing scheme make their cost way disproportionate to their offerings. With Byte, Thai Kitchen, and Tressider relatively nearby, there's little reason to come here.

The Forbes Family Café at Stanford has two food stands, one for the Coupa Café, the other for Ike's Place sandwiches. The sandwiches at Ike's Place are very good (but a bit pricey) as is the coffee and pastries at the Coupa Café stand. On weekdays the Coupa Café counter is open until 4:30 PM while the Ike's Place counter is open until 7PM. The dining area features mostly communal seating, so don't expect a lot of privacy while your enjoy your coffee or meal.

I really love their beef pho! If you don't get a noodle soup, all the other options are good but pretty expensive.

Extremely overpriced. I paid $18 for a main course, a yogurt and a granola bar. The mediocre main dish alone was over $9. The food hygiene is pretty gross too -- people serve themselves from open-air dishes. I miss Ike's. Stanford needs better food options.

Happy to say, after changing the manager to Jose, this place is getting a lot better. They even offer Pho now! Not sure how authentic, but it's comfort food nonetheless. Jose is a very responsible manager and makes sure quality control is met. No more food poisoning means they made huge improvements.

This use to be an amazing on campus option for both breakfast and lunch. Sadly, they recently changed the pricing system and it is now outrageously expensive. Instead of a flat rate, it's now by weight and it's very easy to put a small amount of food in the bowl and be charged more than $15. For reference, their price per ounce is just slightly less than Whole Paycheck's hot food bar. Often, some of the items available are heavy (potatoes) that the cafe must be making a killing on. Two stars for the healthy and fresh food options that are usually available. And it's the only truly healthy option that changes daily within 10 minutes of my building. Call me crazy, but I don't think Stanford should be in the business of charging their students $15 because they want a healthy, hot lunch on this side of campus.

The pricing by weight is awful. I just paid $9 for a small salad. The cashier was also really mean. I tried to say hi and ask how she was doing and she was super cold and wouldn't look me in the eye. That will be my last visit.

Had a panini: Over priced Small portion Blackened bread (too much for a panini) Served searing hot

Zero stars if I could. Over and over I'm getting angry about this place and even more the fact that it replaced the nice place (Ike's ) that was there before. Let's start with the basics: Ike's was open daily until 7pm and until 5 in the weekend. This place closes at 2 and is closed on weekends. This is NOT a replacement! The food is sometimes ok but more often than not straight disappointing. Looks way better than it is. Meals tend to be soggy and not well spiced. But the most important complaint is price: it's ridiculously high! You pay by ounces and every single time I'm shocked again at the checkout that I have to pay 13$ and the bowl is by far not filled! I'm not getting full from this tiny amount. On top, shouldn't it be Stanford responsibility to provide basic infrastructure that's affordable for students? Similar complaints go for the panini and the soup. The portions are just tiny and for that price it's a pure RIPOFF!! I don't like Bytes cafe either but for the same price you get at least reasonable portions (and this is a non-Stanford cafe!!) You want to know how to do it right? Look at luttickens/Beckmann bistro. Private (!) but good quality and reasonable price. But can't eat burrito every day.... Everyone: complain, complain, complain ... maybe it helps then to kick them out.

The Forbes Cafe is pretty decently priced. You can choose either a $3.95 or larger $7.25 container for the open salad bar. The salad bar has typical salad offerings, such as spinach, tomatoes, chickpeas, etc, and includes some premade salads at the end. You can also get bread with your salad. Although I'm not a huge fan of cauliflower, I tried the multicolored cauliflower salad for the first time (I didn't know there was purple cauliflower!). Meat is carved for you, but it is an additional ~$3. There is also a hot food bar with chipotle burrito bowl sized containers for $7.25. Price is by the container, not the weight, so you can add as much as you want to your container. I got a decently sized salad for $3.95, which is definitely cheaper than getting a salad at Bytes or Nexus. I hope to come back to try the hot food bar sometime.

I keep giving this place another chance because it is convenient, but not anymore. Terrible little cafe that gets by by gouging Stanford graduate students and faculty that don't have many other options for food. Choices are overpriced pay-by-weight buffet (which will run you about $10 for a snack) or mediocre sandwiches and soups. My tofu pho took ~15 minutes to receive and did not have any tofu in it because "they ran out." Did not offer a refund. Stanford, please get rid of this cafe or make an effort to improve it! The lines are always long because there are not many other choices around, but the food is really expensive and not very good, and takes forever to receive.

The menu online makes it seem like there are lots of options - not true. The salad is okay, but sometimes they run out quickly and don't fill until after lunch rush. The hot meals are kind of hit or miss and are good sometimes. I do like that it's make your own and they have cold sandwiched to go at the check out.

Forbes Family Cafe used to be one of my go-to dining options. It's got healthy and tasty food, is conveniently located, serves fast, and used to be very fairly priced. However, about a month ago, they raised their prices from a flat-rate of $7.25 per bowl to 57 cents per ounce. In doing so, a normal bowl now easily costs over $13 dollars, which is just not affordable by an average student. Please do not be mislead by their sign with $7.25 per bowl, because chances are that you're going to be paying much more than that. Until the Forbes Family Cafe changes its prices to be more reasonable, I would not recommend going there because you're paying way more for essentially the same food as you would get at a good campus dining hall.

I'm really disappointed in this place. The food is good, and it's fast and easy, so I was so excited when they opened. But they recently changed their pricing scheme, and it's now comically expensive. I got a salad yesterday - which was delicious - but not at all worth the $15 they charged for it. Completely ridiculous.

used to be my go-to place for lunch... i love the salad bar and the bowl where you were charged by the size of the bowl. now they just changed the system to pay by weight and the formerly affordable salad bar has become so expensive. i used to pay $3.5 dollar for small salad bowl but now i pay $6 dollar for the exact same bowl just because i love eating broccoli and veggies that are heavy ... might as well go to heirloom salad in tressider where you can get a huge bowl of salad (seriously A LOT) for just $6 ish

Sparse options, extremely overpriced. Which is pretty ridiculous, considering that part of R&DE's justification for kicking out Ike's from this location in the first place was their (relatively reasonable) prices.

This area has become much less crowded since ikes closed. The coupa stand is good for quick food or coffee, but the options are limited

This cafe should make some improvements to their breakfast food options. Aside from a few apples and bananas, the choices are carbohydrate, sugar, processed junk, all of the above. Lunch at the cafe is a different, better story. For we SEQ dwellers the opening of this place is a much-needed alternative to the long lunchtime lines found at Coupa Cafe, Bytes, and Ikes. Forbes Family Cafe offers some nice grab-and-go sandwiches, decent sushi boxes, a well-maintained salad bar, and a yummy hot food buffet with a themed menu that changes daily. I come here almost every morning for a quick coffee, and usually grab my lunch from the salad bar or hot buffet each day. I hope one day they offer something other than, e.g., chips, donuts, bagels, workout bars, or processed oatmeal in the mornings.

The cashier in this cafe was very RUDE! On more than one occasion the cashier has ignored me or has acted standoffish whenever I wanted to buy or ask for something. I would usually buy food from here on my way to class, but NO WAY am I buying from this store again because I don't want to be treated like I'm a second-class citizen by this woman.

Beware the "priced as scanned" (aka secret price) 6-dollar juices. If you're looking for a deal, just grab your $4 salad (greens on the bottom, weighted down with heavier things) and skip the cold case. My old man rage ("$6 for a JUICE??" mumble mumble mumble) was coming out.

If you want to avoid the crowd on Stanford Campus during lunch time, this is a good place to go.